The Cork Landscape Character and Sensitivity Assessment was prepared in 2003 and was adopted in the Cork County Development Plan 2003.
The project culminated in the identification and mapping of 19 landscape character types and 76 landscape character areas.

In addition, the sensitivity of each landscape character area to wind farm development was classified which greatly informed the mapping by Cork County Council of ‘Strategic Search Areas’ and ‘Strategically Unsuitable Areas’. The landscape assessment is also used to in-form recommendations included in the Cork Rural Housing Guide (prepared by others). This study was supported in terms of GIS input by Macro Works Limited.